In building I-140 bypass, crews give wildlife a path, too

Workers construct a wildlife crossing using chain-link fencing along the new I-140 bypass in Brunswick County on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Wildlife crossings are used to funnel animals under the roadway and keep them from gaining access to the road.

Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 5:07 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 5:07 p.m.

Building a road for motor vehicles in North Carolina sometimes means simultaneously building a path for animals, too.

On Monday, crews were dangling from fence poles on the side of the road that will become part of the Interstate 140 bypass later this year, building 10-foot barriers to keep wildlife from reaching the road.

When they drive over the three designated I-140 bridges, drivers are unlikely to know they're bisecting an animal crossing, as the only visible signs are the 3.75 miles of 10-foot fencing on either side of the highway.

“This is a known corridor for different wildlife, and we'd like to see something put in place to maintain that connection,” said Chris Rivenbark, eastern regional manager of the N.C. DOT's project management group.

By making the fences so tall, the DOT hopes to keep animals from leaving the forest around the highway, instead funneling them through paths built under the new highway.

“You build basically a culvert like you do for a river, but you put a foot of dirt in it so it's natural for the animals to use it,” said Jackson Provost, the DOT's division construction engineer.

A major factor in the construction of the bypass is the presence of black bears and deer in the Cape Fear region.

“They're trying to prevent the animals from getting hit, but for the larger mammals it's also been suggested that it's a safety issue for the public,” Rivenbark said. “If it's a known route that deer take through the area, then you have a higher risk for a collision, which obviously affects people, the deer and the property, as well.”

Rivenbark added that monitoring of three crossings on U.S. 64 in Washington County showed that they are used regularly by black bears, deer and small animals.

In the case of the I-140 bypass, the culverts cost about $1.4 million each, said Mark Blalock, a DOT transportation technician.

The I-140 bridges are not the only animal crossings in Southeastern North Carolina.

In Brunswick County, the approach road for the second bridge to Oak Island features nine aluminum pipes that are 5 feet wide and about 4 feet tall, designed to let smaller animals such as foxes, rabbits and raccoons pass through.

Workers will build two more bridges for wildlife on the second portion of the Wilmington bypass in Brunswick County, spanning Cartwheel Branch and an unnamed tributary to it. Construction on that portion is set to begin in September.

Work on the first section, between U.S. 74/76 near Maco and U.S. 17 south of Leland, should be completed in August. An opening date hasn't been set yet.

<p>Building a road for motor vehicles in North Carolina sometimes means simultaneously building a path for animals, too.</p><p>On Monday, crews were dangling from fence poles on the side of the road that will become part of the Interstate 140 bypass later this year, building 10-foot barriers to keep wildlife from reaching the road.</p><p>When they drive over the three designated I-140 bridges, drivers are unlikely to know they're bisecting an animal crossing, as the only visible signs are the 3.75 miles of 10-foot fencing on either side of the highway.</p><p>“This is a known corridor for different wildlife, and we'd like to see something put in place to maintain that connection,” said Chris Rivenbark, eastern regional manager of the N.C. DOT's project management group.</p><p>By making the fences so tall, the DOT hopes to keep animals from leaving the forest around the highway, instead funneling them through paths built under the new highway.</p><p>“You build basically a culvert like you do for a river, but you put a foot of dirt in it so it's natural for the animals to use it,” said Jackson Provost, the DOT's division construction engineer.</p><p>A major factor in the construction of the bypass is the presence of black bears and deer in the Cape Fear region.</p><p>“They're trying to prevent the animals from getting hit, but for the larger mammals it's also been suggested that it's a safety issue for the public,” Rivenbark said. “If it's a known route that deer take through the area, then you have a higher risk for a collision, which obviously affects people, the deer and the property, as well.”</p><p>Rivenbark added that monitoring of three crossings on U.S. 64 in Washington County showed that they are used regularly by black bears, deer and small animals.</p><p>In the case of the I-140 bypass, the culverts cost about $1.4 million each, said Mark Blalock, a DOT transportation technician.</p><p>The I-140 bridges are not the only animal crossings in Southeastern North Carolina. </p><p>In Brunswick County, the approach road for the second bridge to Oak Island features nine aluminum pipes that are 5 feet wide and about 4 feet tall, designed to let smaller animals such as foxes, rabbits and raccoons pass through.</p><p>Workers will build two more bridges for wildlife on the second portion of the Wilmington bypass in Brunswick County, spanning Cartwheel Branch and an unnamed tributary to it. Construction on that portion is set to begin in September.</p><p>Work on the first section, between U.S. 74/76 near Maco and U.S. 17 south of <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9971"><b>Leland</b></a>, should be completed in August. An opening date hasn't been set yet.</p><p><i></p><p>Adam Wagner: 343-2096</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @adamwagner1990</i></p>